Within Darkness and Entropy
by Zephyr.Camida
Summary: Each and every person that lived the life of the underworld knew that they'd one day succumb to a death most wretched. Yet still, within the filth, they clung to a little light called love. "Love is what makes us, love is what destroys us. Is it worth it in the end?" (S/A, L/P, H/B) **AU with Dark themes**
1. Prologue

Within Darkness and Entropy

(Rated M for sexual themes, drugs, violence, and grotesque imagery.)

Disclaimer: I don't know what I'm about to put someone's brain babies through, but they certainly aren't owned by me.

Author's Note: I don't have the faintest clue where this idea came from, but it sure hit me like a bulldozer. This is simply a tester to see if there is enough interest for me to continue with the story, a prologue if you will. Please do enjoy and leave some feedback if you think this is worth your time~ ;)

* * *

A large army truck sat parked in the dank back alley of a quiet city, headlights off and engine purring roughly in the night. The driver, a small blonde, clicked the engine off with a turn of the keys and turned to her partner in the passenger seat. "Ready, Amy?"

Staring out into the streets ahead, Amy nodded and started to exit the vehicle, "Let's go."

Both women, clothed in black and supplied with silver briefcases, hopped out of the truck and headed to the rear. Amy pulled out two white facial masks from a small pouch attached to her hip and offered it, "Here, Bernadette. I can't imagine the scent down below will be pleasant."

"Thanks," she flatly replied, pulling the elastic bands of the mask around her ears. "I don't see why they sent us to do this dirty work. Isn't disposing of bodies George's and Zack's job?"

"Boss probably got sick of you complaining about lack of test subjects and specimens." Amy pulled out a lengthy crowbar from behind the tarp flap of the truck's back, then approached the nearby manhole.

"Well, if Siebert would just let me have a body more than once in a blue moon, I wouldn't be complaining. He bitches about results, well, I need _live_ subjects to give him results. 'It's much simpler to kill a man to keep him quiet', blah blah blah." Bernadette clicked a heel violently to the concrete ground, crossing her arms. "I can keep a man quiet, just let me pull out some sulfuric acid, he wouldn't have a _tongue_ to speak when I'm finished with him."

Amy chuckled to herself and thrust the crowbar into the lid's hole, pressing her weight into it. The manhole creaked open with a low rumble, and grated loudly as Amy dragged it aside. Bernadette's head pulled back in disgust.

"These masks don't do a thing for that stench."

"Yes, well, we're just going to have to make quick work of this then. I'm already estimating over an hour of shower time, and it's getting late as it is."

A sigh escaped the blonde's lips, "Alright, alright."

They both crawled down the steel bars deep into the chasm of the sewers. Scents of decay, sewage, and filth radiated throughout the dank cavern, almost like a toxic fog. With a thud, Amy landed on the steel mesh bridge that ran parallel with the sewer stream and moments later, Bernadette joined her. It didn't take long for them to spot their target, a large man stripped down to his boxers lay mere feet away, sprawled half into the water.

"Ick. Really, Siebert, _so_ not classy," Amy heard Bernadette hiss behind her, but largely ignored the comment to set her case down on the ground and clicked it open. She pulled out a small inspection light and a pair of medical gloves. They both approached the body silently and with a quick tug, pulled him out of the water and on his back.

Amy peeled an eye open with her thumb and index finger, "Eyes dilated, cyan hues to lips and cuticles- from the looks of it, an opioid overdose. There are several puncture wounds in both arms, along with many lacerations," Amy turned towards her blonde companion. "What would you guess, Bernadette? It worth keeping?"

The small woman crouched down near the pale corpse and pressed her fingers to various points on the body, and frowned, "No. Hardly a suitable specimen for any of my research. You can have it, I'm sure you'd have use for it." Amy pondered a moment, removing her hand and letting the eyelid of the male drop shut. She stood up slowly, fingering a glove and peeling it away, followed by the other.

"No, I think we have enough to bring back with us as is. It'll be too hard to hide more than what we have in our cargo when we return to base. And, I don't know about you, but lifting a body out of the sewers is irritating work at the very least," Amy surmised, flicking her ponytail over her shoulder.

Bernadette nodded, "Sure, especially since you have to do most of the work in that regard. Let me just take a sample for my blood cultures and we can pack up." She pulled out a small vial and took hold of an arm, massaging it vigorously for a couple of moments. Biting the cap off with her teeth and revealing a small needle at the base, Bernadette inserted the tube into an untapped vein and withdrew as much blood as the vial would hold. "There!" she clicked the cap back on and placed it into the nearby open briefcase. She threw a nasty look over her shoulder at the bulky corpse and with a thrust of her foot, sent the body tumbling into the water below, where it instantly disappeared below the surface.

Amy shot her a disapproving look, "What that necessary?"

Bernadette shrugged, "Hm, you can't tell me that George handles it any different. Plus, I'm not a nice person, and I want to leave. Case in point. Let's go."

"...True on all accounts," Amy admitted with a raised brow. With little else said, they trekked back up to the surface, Bernadette peaked around for witnesses before hoisting herself out of the manhole. Amy popped up soon after, and after setting her equipment nearby, went to put the lid back in its resting place. She turned around to her partner, twisting her wrist in a circular motion.

"Ready to head back?" Amy watched Bernadette secure both large cases by the handles and yank them off the ground with little effort.

"Ready when you are, Ames," with a huff, Bernadette swung the massive steel encased briefcases over the back of the trunk door.

"You take care of the cargo and we'll get a move on then; I want to check in all the bodies at the lab before it gets too late. My assistants will be there late as it is, and I don't want them to meander around too long preparing for tomorrow."

"Early morning?"

"I'd rather extract the cerebrum from my few specimens and get them soaking in formalin as soon as possible. I don't like keeping the corpses in my lab for a long period. Distracts the assistants, simple-minded children," Amy shrugged, walking to the truck, and moving the black tarp to the side. Within the bed of the truck, laid several bodies neatly piled together in a lined pyramid. Bernadette came forward, still wearing her respirator mask, and immediately crawled inside.

"I've had assistants who were the same way when we started handling super viruses and heavy narcotics. I just let them go. Otherwise, it only wastes my time. I do like to see my husband on occasion," Bernadette shuffled about, moving a woman's body aside with the slide of her high-heel foot. "Hm, hopefully these will last us a while. Though I really wish they'd let me have a live one again. Experiments go so much smoother when you have a living person to work with, you know?"

Amy speculated quietly as Bernadette ruffled about in the back, all while keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. After several moments of silence, Bernadette spoke up in an everyday chipper voice.

"How's Sheldon doing?" came the casual question as she flipped another body over, and pulled up a zipper, encasing the corpse in a body bag.

Not taking her eyes off the road ahead, Amy murmured quietly, "He decreased his intake of medication by half." She didn't miss the sharp gasp from within the vehicle.

"You're kidding? That's such a drastic change. ...Does Siebert know?"

"No...it was only recent and we don't plan on saying a word." came the short reply.

"Oh...well, I won't say anything, but I doubt they'll miss his behavior changes." Bernadette deliberated a moment. "I can always see if I can alter the medication to lessen its effects. Though I can't say I've had much work with that particular line of drug."

"That won't be necessary. I'd rather not introduce any new substances to his system, he's already experiencing withdrawal symptoms, I don't want to add to the damage. It's painful enough already."

Bernadette frowned as she peeked out of the tarp, "Just remember, he's doing it for you."

"That's the painful part, Bern." Amy tilted her head back, very near Bernadette's face. "It's...hard."

The blonde dangled out of the truck, and offered a reassuring pat on Amy's shoulder, "Addiction to drugs is never easy, especially one as strong as the narcotics those higher-ups have Sheldon on. But come on, he's got that genius brain as his weapon, I'm sure he'll surpass this."

Amy swiped a hand over her face, "I hope so, Bernadette, I hope so."

Just then, a scuffle alerted both women to the alley exit, skin pimpled with goose-flesh. Green eyes locked with blue, they nodded simultaneously, and Bernadette disappeared back inside the truck's rear.

Moments later, the butt of a rifle poked out from the tarp, which Amy grabbed fluidly. She held her hand up, and a small steel cylinder appeared on her palm soon after. Calmly, Amy screwed the cylinder on to the head of the rifle barrel and with a brief breath, she raised the weapon ahead.

Seconds of silence passed, but soon enough, a man wandered out into the clearing, a moan ripping from his throat. Amy, silent and focused, trained the scope on him as he stumbled to the ground, hands flailing about as he gathered his bearings.

"Amy, is he...?" Bernadette whispered from her hiding spot.

"Shh."

Once the wild man rose to his feet, he stood erect in his spot, eying Amy with glossy eyes. Two seconds later, he charged with all the grace of a drunkard. With a sharp exhale, Amy pulled the trigger and a low hum vibrated as the bullet shot forth and plowed with little resistance through the man's kneecap. Bone marrow and blood spattered as he collapsed in a crumbling heap to the concrete, a gurgling screech bubbled from his lips.

"Jesus, Amy," Bernadette said, voice laced with astonishment. Amy rolled her shoulder and stood, sauntering silently over the wriggling man, watching him with dull eyes. She lifted the butt of the gun upwards, and in a flash, thrust it downwards against the man's skull.

Bernadette hopped out of the truck, and approached her friend, who had walked over and clasped her hand around an ankle. She tilted her head in question as Amy began to drag the body along the ground towards the truck.

"What are you doing" she asked, facing towards the retreating brunette.

Amy tossed a grin over her shoulder and replied, "You wanted a live specimen, did you not?"

A glossy white smile split Bernadette's face as she all but trotted after Amy, and helped her load her new 'buddy' into the back of the truck.

* * *

End note: So...yea. Very out there, isn't it? As I said, I really just got hit with this idea literally a day ago and threw a small slew of details together about the characters and came up with this little prologue. This probably won't be a frequently updated story, as there will be copious amounts of research to go into this thing, but I'd be happy to continue if there are enough of you interested in seeing where this goes. And don't worry, the rest of our lovely ensemble will be joining the scene next chapter.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review and let me know what you think!


	2. A Haunting Lullaby

Within Darkness and Entropy: Chapter 2-

Disclaimer: I do not own these poor, poor characters that are most likely going to encounter hard times within my clutches.

Author's Note: Thank you so much for your feedback thus far! I know some of you were creeped out, okay, all of you. But well, it's a dark world out there, after all. Please enjoy the next chapter~

* * *

Sitting cross-legged at a high top round table, Amy tugged at a sleeve of her deep indigo dress, flattening the crease over her elbow. Another hand sat bent at an angle, finger tracing the delicate rim of her martini glass, as she hummed a quiet melody.

It had been a long two days since her and Bernadette's excursion outside of town, leaving her with very little sleep and more on her plate than she knew what to do with. She returned with not only Kripke, who was Siebert's right-hand (though more like little worthless lacky to her), breathing down her neck about updates on Sheldon's diagnostics, but her assistants had left a container of brain tissue opened and subject to molecules and bacteria, completely ruining it and the week work of tests that would have went with it. It was like the rotten cherry on top the already completely melted and insect infested sundae.

While she had a lick of patience, she had dismissed them for the night and pondered dully if maybe Siebert would let her keep a flock of monkeys instead; surely they could be trained to be more useful than the band of misfits she had to lead. Monkeys were simple and cute, humans (save a sparse few) were obnoxious and rage-inducing. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose betwixt her eyes; just thinking about it was giving her a migraine.

So why, one might wonder, was she sitting here at the Nox Obscurus Theater, drinking a cranberry martini and dressed in a very uncharacteristic satin gown?

Well-

"Amy!" a small voice bubbled from behind her. Amy turned and focused her green gaze on the well-dressed pair that was Mister and Missus Wolowitz, wide grins plastered on their faces. Howard rounded around her, placing a friendly peck on her cheek and sat to her left while Bernadette sat to her right.

"So, I heard that you liked my little touch I added to your weaponry, huh?" Howard raised a hand to a nearby bartender, ordering himself a tall lager. Amy grinned and leveled him with a light slap on the back.

"That rifle hummed so silently, I wouldn't have thought it went off if it weren't for his leg blowing clean off."

Howard nodded, humming in approval while Bernadette placed her order for a drink, "Yes, Bernie gave me all the details. Didn't even have to use adrenaline boosting drugs for that one, did you?"

"Nope, I've trained my brain well," Amy tapped a finger to her temple.

"And I've got a new specimen, thanks to that brilliant brain of yours," the tiny blonde cooed with a sigh, cradling her cheek in a gloved palm. "I've got to make this one last, but there are so many things I could test with him."

"I'm sure you'll make it work, he's rather large in size; they usually take longer to succumb to your...end results," Howard grimaced a little at the toothy grin adorning his wife. "I don't know how you two do it, really. All I have to do is play with weaponry and make them more devastating than they already are. You two play with...dead people."

"I don't play with 'dead people'. I study the neural networking of the cerebrum cortex and am routing ways to stimulate certain cranial pathways to induce one's mind into a state of catatonic numbness," Amy huffed and took a swig of her drink. "-and I play with _brains_. Not the same."

"And Howie, you know the only thing I use dead people for is to take blood cultures and tissue samples for my studies of high-rise super viruses. Of course, my dabbling in pharmaceuticals and several levels of narcotics studies also, but that hardly has anything to do with dead people, unless you want to talk the 'end results' of said narcotics." Bernadette gave a small clap when the bartender returned with a sugar pink cosmopolitan. "Seriously, Howie, 'dead people'."

Howard sat back with his beer in hand, "Right, because what you just described is _so_ much better than playing with dead people."

Amy couldn't help but chuckle, "Regardless, we all simply do the jobs Boss gives us. He stays happy, we stay alive and for the most part, comfortable, and life goes on."

"Speaking of jobs, I heard that this performance tonight was going to be a new number," Bernadette leaned over the table, closer to her companions. "You think this is what Penny was talking about? Her 'secret' project?"

"Highly plausible-"

"Probably-"

All three occupants of the table sat at attention as the lights dimmed low and a spotlight sparked to life on the center-point of the front stage. A tall, black man in a sequence gown and deep red lipstick stood at attention, microphone in hand. The girls grinned at each other, while Howard rolled his eyes, as the man began to speak.

"Welcome babes and...ladies," he passed a flirtatious wink to the crowd, eliciting some whistles and guffaws. "We've got a special little number for you, written and sung by your favorite golden angel!"

Several loud cheers reverberated throughout the audience, a wave of electric excitement seemed to charge through everyone as the man sauntered off the stage and the large, billowing, red velvet curtains spilled open to reveal a glorious grand piano and two people upon the stage.

"Oh-mi-gosh! Look, Amy!" Bernadette grabbed at Amy's arm and flailed towards the stage. Her sight followed her friend's guiding finger and spotted the target. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight.

Sitting at the grand piano to the left, sat Sheldon, sitting with fists drawn tight and resting on his lap. He wore a classic black tux, with a deep violet tie. They weren't sitting close, but Amy could tell that his gaze was wandering the crowd, searching with an emotionless face. Finally, his blue gaze caught Amy's and his head tilted just slightly to the side, then moments later, he diverted his gaze.

In that tiny moment, Amy felt both a jolt of excitement, and a cold drop of sadness.

"Hey, Amy," Howard whispered softly. "Is the whole...situation with Sheldon going okay?"

She could see Bernadette offer a sympathetic smile from the corner of her eye, but Amy simply nodded and took in the sight of the golden star at the center, who was waving with a beautiful white smile.

Penny, her best friend, was adorned with a breathtaking forest green gown, which Amy could only imagine highlighted her glittering hazel eyes. The gown was simple, strapless and hugged her curves like a satin glove and flowed like a mermaid's tail to the floor. Many strings of pearls circled Penny's throat at varying lengths, some trailing all the way down over her bust. Tendrils of her golden hair were also pinned back with pearlesque clips and the whole look was completed with a dusting of pink upon her cheeks and a brilliant ruby color that adorned her lips.

To Amy, Penny was the embodiment of an angel.

"Thank you all for coming out tonight," her smooth voice echoed from the microphone. "As Louise has already informed you, we have a special performance for you all tonight. A song I wrote myself, and accompanying me on piano-"

She swept a hand out towards Sheldon, who sat rigid in his seat, but looked towards the crowd.

"-the genius of many talents, Sheldon Cooper."

There were a few moments of silence, as the lights dimmed to a complete darkness aside from the bulbs of light that illuminated the two performers. Penny looked over at to Sheldon, who gave a curt nod and raised his large hands to chest level.

Within the next second, the whole of the audience was sucked into a dark vacuum as his fingers expertly dropped down and out echoed a blazing resonance that left a quake in its wake. Instantly, Amy was enveloped in a whirl of auditory ecstasy, deep and vibrating down to her very core. She could only assume that the married pair on either side of her felt the same, as a collective breath sounded quietly between them.

Sheldon, with the fluidity of a flowing stream, played a haunting lullaby, heavy and suffocating as it pulled everyone into a dream, maybe a nightmare. If there were a feeling of being high that could come from sounds, then he was inducing every single soul within the room in an inescapable trip.

Then, as if the air lifted with the wave of her hands, Penny opened her mouth and began to sing-

_Angels, they sing to me,  
dancing within a globe of snow.  
Wishes, they pray to be  
apart of the outside shimmering glow._

Her voice, though much lighter, softer, and smooth like velvet, did not relinquish the spell that had enchanted the audience. Her arms lifted, hands reaching out towards them all, eyes full of life, yet conveyed a sorrow that could freeze one's heart to stone.

_But there's glass that surrounds them, and keeps them inside  
Enclosed, and trapped with no place to hide._

Rising in octave, Penny's voice called out in a powerful wave, washing over them with a smooth melody that created a tortourous, yet beautiful contrast to the darkness that Sheldon's own notes held. It felt much like one was held tightly by a noose, stealing the air from one's lips, yet at the same time breathing life into every pore.

Amy's eyes were glued to the stage as the song continued, hands clutched tightly to her chest as if willing her heart to beat.

_Oh, poor, lost souls-  
Decrepid and torn and all alone.  
Freedom ripped right under,  
and sorrow seeped down to the bone._

This song, this dying lullaby, pulled every deep nerve ending to the surface of Amy's skin, the hairs standing on end and goose flesh prickled, sending a shiver coursing through her. Sheldon's notes, Penny's voice, the ephemeral glow within the darkness, all of it engulfed her.

She, Bernadette, Howard, and every last person who witnessed this performace stayed silent and frozen until the very last lyrics left Penny's lips and the last chords bellowed from beneath Sheldon's fingertips. Silence, and total darkness, surrounded them all.

Then, much like a flood of water gushing out from an opened dam, people started to shout as the gallery light came back on, lighting the entire room. There were men whistling, women crying, and even Amy, Howard, and Bernadette were clapping with joyous tears in their eyes. The cacophony only increased in volume as the stage opened again to Penny and Sheldon standing side by side, gracefully bowing (in Sheldon's case, curt nodding) to the crowd and continued even long after they exited the gallery.

* * *

The three friends, their drinks long abandoned, gallivanted through the storms of people trying to get backstage.

"Alright, move aside you weeping babies," Bernadette boomed with fervor, startling several nearby people.

Howard tossed his tiny wife an amused look, "You're crying too, Bernie."

"Shhh, hush now," she bit back as they pawed their way to the front of the crowd, where a short man in suit and thick framed glasses stood behind a velvet rope that blocked a large wooden door. Once his dark gaze settled on the three, a large grin plastered upon his face, pulling his cheeks high.

"Hey, you guys made it!" he beamed, unclicking the rope from its ring. "Come in, come in!"

"Hello Leonard," Amy greeted with a small smile as she passed by, squeezing his shoulder in a friendly gesture.

"Hey," Bernadette chirped as she quickly crept inside, soon followed by her husband, who grabbed Leonard's waiting hand in a firm grasp.

"Heyyy buddy! Your woman's got talent," Howard crooned with a large grin as Leonard finished ushering them inside the room and slammed the door shut behind him, locking it. The shouts died down quickly as some quiet jazz music started to float outside.

Leonard wiped a brow, "Whew. They get more and more crazy after every performance."

Bernadette sat in a nearby plush chair, crossing her leg over the other, "It's to be expected, now that she's writing her own songs. Simply amazing, right Amy?"

"Absolutely enchanting. The amalgamation of an entire choir encompassed into a single woman." she breathed, still in a slight daze.

"Awww, sweetie, you always say the best things," came a new voice from behind Amy. She turned around to find the angel herself, Penny, smile huge and eyes shimmering with happiness. Both girls let out a high pitched squeak as Penny nearly plowed Amy over in a tight embrace. "I'm so glad you're here."

"I wouldn't have missed it for anything, not even fresh brain tissue," Amy felt Penny's chest puff out as she let out a hard laugh.

"Yeah, you better not have," she retorted, pulling away and giving a thorough once over of her best friend. "Damn, Ames, you look hot!"

"You wouldn't believe how long it took me to get her to buy that dress," Bernadette quipped from beside them, hands waving in a downward motion at Amy. "Woman doesn't mind sitting in a room with idiots and mushy brains all damn day, but she doesn't want to spend two or three hours in a gown. Yeesh."

"Hey now, dresses aren't Amy's thing," Howard said from the back of the room, popping his face up. "Amy's a woman's man's...woman...she's, uh, she's a hardcore chick! That!"

All three women looked at him incredulously, and Penny retorted with a snort, "I don't know where you were going with that, but no. Nice try."

Howard huffed and returned to his previous conversation with Leonard, who had watched the small spectacle with amused eyes. Amy did no miss the small, simmering look between the two.

"Anyway, thank you guys so much for coming. You know how much this performance meant to me," Penny gushed, placing a hand on each girl's shoulder. Amy nodded at her bestie, while Bernadette gave her a lively thumbs up.

"It was fantastic, really. You and Sheldon both were so sexy and euphoric up there, like a magic spell!" Bernadette then looked around curiously. "Speaking of which, where is Sheldon?"

Stopping, Penny looked around and shrugged, "I haven't seen him since we exited the stage. He seemed rather winded, actually."

Amy's eyes widened at Penny's comment and raised a hand to her mouth, heart suddenly pounding. Bernadette eyed her carefully while Penny gave her a puzzled stare.

"Ames, what's wrong?"

Amy took a step back, "Oh, uh, nothing. I just remembered that I have an early morning again. Work has been pretty nasty lately what with the Boss demanding more and more reports. Fingers going to fall off any day now. I should probably make sure Sheldon made it home okay too, and that he takes his m-medication."

She silently cursed herself for her stumble, but Bernadette quickly stepped in to cover for her.

"It's been a long day, Amy. Why don't you go ahead and take off, okay?"

"Yeah, sorry, and thanks."

"Oh, sweetie, thank you! I'm sorry that work has been killer, it's been pretty... hectic for me too, if that makes you feel any better. Siebert has been grinding us all through the wringer." Penny gave Amy one last hug before stepping away and giving a small wave. "Tell that bone-head thanks for me, 'kay?"

Amy nodded, "Sure." Then, after sending a silent nod over at the two men near the door, she let herself out and walked briskly to the exit.

_Damnit, Sheldon._

Back in the room, a silence fell for a moment before Penny spoke up, "What was that about? Is something wrong with Sheldon?" Leonard and Howard offered her no answer, looking rather confused, while Bernadette's mouth twisted sideways.

Before anyone could speak further, the tall black man in a dazzling dress from earlier, Louise, stepped in from the back door. He settled a gentle, sad gaze on Penny and placed a hand upon her back.

"Sweetheart, your patron is here."

Her mouth thinned into a small line as she glanced over at Leonard, who approached her quietly and pressed a firm kiss to Penny's lips. He then gave her an unconvincing smile, "Go on, Pen."

Bernadette wandered over to her husband and watched the pair with sad eyes as Penny followed Louise out the back door. Even when Leonard's gaze didn't leave from where the blonde angel disappeared from several seconds later, the married pair could only look on silence

* * *

Amy was bounding at hyper speed as she sprinted down the road towards her complex, feet slapping bare against the sidewalk and heels in her hands.

"Stupid shoes, see if I wear you again!" she swore under her breath as she came tearing around the corner to where the row of town homes stretched. Spotting her own place, her eyes took in the sight of a dim light glimmering through the shades and quickened her pace that much more.

"Oh please," she begged out loud to no one as she hurriedly clanged the keys against the lobby door, hand shaking as it tried to force the key into the socket. Finally, after several aggravating attempts, the key slid in and she turned it viciously, ripping the door open and tumbling inside. Trying to not look like an absolute psycho, she slowed her pace to what barely could be considered a walk until she reached her room. Testing the knob, she found the door unlocked, and she stepped inside, throwing her shoes carelessly to the floor. He could scold her about tidiness later.

"Sheldon?" she immediately called, voice high in alarm. _Where is he, where is he? _Her brain was rampaging within her skull, as both adrenaline and a killer headache spiked a war within its walls. She padded across the floor, ignoring the now very apparent burning sensations on her soles, and stopped at the door from which the previous light came.

With a shaking hand, she nudged the wooden panel open and peered inside. Before her eyes could even adjust to the light, she could hear heavy breathing from her right. Amy whipped her head sideways and found what she was looking for.

Crouched in the corner, was Sheldon, clearly paniced and hyperventilating. Biting back the cry that stung her throat, she kneeled at his feet and unburied his head from his hands. Forcing his face towards her, Amy pulled the bottom lid of an eye down, followed by the pulling the upper lid up and breathed the tiniest sigh of relief when his eye dilated from the direct light.

His breaths were still coming out in gulping heaves, chest rising and falling heavily as if he were choking, and his hands were bunched together at his stomach. Shaking blue eyes watched her as she pressed two fingers to his neck, feeling for his vitals, and then just like that, Sheldon had her in a vice grip within his arms.

Amy couldn't help the small yelp of surprise when she was crushed against him, but immediately wrapped her arms around him as he convulsed against her. "Sheldon, please, talk to me. I can't help you if you don't talk to me."

He panted hot breaths against her neck, sending uncontrollable shivers down her spine, "It won't turn off. Everything is spinning, I can't think, I can't feel." His arms tightened around her as Sheldon pulled her into his lap and she was forced to curve back when he remained hunched over her.

"Keep talking, Love, keep talking," she spoke softly in his ear between her peppering his neck and face with kisses, hands smoothing over his scalp in as much comfort as she could offer. She could feel him nipping on her in return, lips chapped, but tongue hot and moist against her chilled skin.

"My mind, Amy. My mind won't stop. It's all pouring out," he rasped into her, shaking even harder than before.

Amy had to bite her lip to force back the tears. She almost wanted to beg him to take the drugs again, to silence his pain and fear, but she couldn't open her mouth. So instead, she clung to him desperately as his warm tears soaked her gown and his mouth mumbled incoherent words in her collar.

"I'm not..." Sheldon gasped for air as another wave of overpowering force thundered through him. "I"m not...a robot. I'm real. I'm real. I'm human."

It was the last line, and Amy finally let her tears flourish from her reddening eyes, "Yes, Sheldon, you are real- human. They can't take that away from you. I won't let them."

* * *

End note: Well, I guess I ended up getting one more chapter on the loose before shutting my brain down for the night. Slowly, but surely, you'll see what everyone does within this world that they were each thrust into and the darkness that they suffer from it. Things might seem a little odd, which some pointed out to me in the comments (thanks for those by the way, I love you guys~) and thought this was rather disturbing. Yes, this will not be a pretty story, and by the end everyone will probably have their fair share of either suffering or making someone suffer. I hope you all stick by it to the eventual end. Next chapter will be...sometime in the future once I draw some more outlines out for them, and Raj should make his entrance (finally) next chapter.

On a final note, the song Penny sings in this chapter is something I wrote myself, and the full version of the lyrics are located in my profile. I hope you give those a gander, as they'll probably be making an appearance again. Anyway, thank you for reading thus far, let me know what you think!


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